Samsung is reportedly launching its own cloud game streaming service, but it is taking a different approach by focusing on mobile games rather than competing directly with other cloud gaming platforms like Amazon Luna or Xbox Cloud. The service is currently in beta for select users and the announcement has gone relatively unnoticed. Samsung’s cloud gaming service will be available within the Game Launcher app pre-installed on its Galaxy phones and tablets. Currently, the service offers seven games from Playrix and Snow Print Studios.
Unlike other subscription-based services, Samsung is planning to make its cloud gaming service ad-supported and completely free. This aligns with Samsung’s strategy for its Samsung TV Plus video streaming service, which is also ad-supported. The company already has a Gaming Hub for its smart TVs, which aggregates content from various cloud gaming platforms, but the Game Launcher specifically caters to mobile devices. By targeting game-install-ad revenue, Samsung aims to address the reduced performance of game ads due to increased privacy restrictions and user advertisement targeting. The cloud game streaming platform could serve as a remedy for this issue.
Samsung’s Vice President of Games Services, Jong Hyuk Woo, emphasized the potential of cloud streaming to improve the user acquisition funnel for mobile game publishers. By eliminating the need for downloads, installations, and visits to the App Store, cloud streaming can streamline the user experience and reduce inefficiencies. Samsung’s cloud game streaming service may provide a solution to these challenges and offer a new avenue for mobile game publishers to reach their audience.
